Chapter Nineteen: Another Member Joins the Team, Caibean’s Decision

The Pokémon before him was a bug-type: its head covered in white fuzz, five red horns sprouting from its long neck, and three pairs of short limbs on its chest and abdomen.

“How could I forget—there are also Larvesta in the Focus Forest,” Su Yi realized.

Indeed, the Pokémon in front of him was a Fire and Bug type, Larvesta, whose final evolution, Volcarona, had once led Su Yi to mistake it for a pseudo-legendary.

“Chii-wu!” Startled by Su Yi’s sudden approach, the Larvesta jerked back. It wasn’t one of the Pokémon Su Yi had helped earlier, so it naturally wasn’t familiar with him.

Clearly frightened, Larvesta squealed and dashed into the woods.

“Sorry! Wait, don’t run!” Realizing his impulsiveness, Su Yi quickly gave chase.

To his surprise, the tiny Larvesta, though small, scurried away on its little legs at impressive speed.

“Larvesta, I don’t mean any harm!” Su Yi called as the Larvesta dove into a patch of tall grass ahead.

“Pujii!” Suddenly, something sent Larvesta tumbling out of the grass.

“Raaawr!” A huge green lizard, ferocious and menacing, crawled out after it.

“A Tyrantrum?!” Su Yi instinctively reached for his belt—his own Tyrantrum’s Poké Ball was still there.

“What’s going on? How is this possible?!” Su Yi stared at the familiar monster, his mind momentarily blank.

“Raaawr!” The sudden appearance of Tyrantrum made it lunge at the petrified Larvesta, claws slashing down.

“Watch out!” Su Yi scooped up Larvesta and fired his grapple, anchoring it to a tree. Just as those claws were about to tear into his back, the grapple yanked them both up to safety.

Larvesta trembled violently in his arms.

“Come out, Tyrantrum!” Su Yi tossed the Poké Ball, releasing his own. Tyrantrum stared, stunned, at its identical counterpart.

“Raaawr!” The mysterious Tyrantrum roared and swiped its claws.

With a furious glare, Su Yi’s Tyrantrum met the attack head-on with a savage Dragon Claw.

A heavy blow sent the other Tyrantrum stumbling backward.

Then, with a strange shimmering sound, the false Tyrantrum’s form blurred and shifted—revealing a black fox Pokémon.

“A Zorua!” Su Yi exclaimed in surprise.

“So the Tyrantrum was just an illusion? This Zorua’s illusion ability is incredible—to so perfectly mimic a much larger Tyrantrum without a single flaw,” he marveled.

As Su Yi recalled, Zorua’s illusions usually had telltale imperfections, far less convincing than its evolved form, Zoroark.

“Hee hee!” The little fox cackled slyly, then darted away into the undergrowth.

“Whew, I thought…” Su Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Down below, his Tyrantrum tilted its head, clearly impressed by Zorua’s transformation.

“All right, the danger’s passed. Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Su Yi soothed, patting the trembling Larvesta in his arms.

“Chii-wu…” Larvesta still seemed shaken.

He carried Larvesta back to the orchard and gently set it down. The little bug Pokémon zipped off in a flash, vanishing who knew where.

“I was too rash,” Su Yi said, troubled.

“Oh well, I’ll leave it to fate.” He pushed the matter aside and brought out the gifts he’d prepared.

He piled up a variety of fruits and foods—some from the Pokémon world, some from the Monster Hunter world, and some special treats he’d gotten from Master Ma.

“Everyone, help yourselves,” Su Yi invited.

At once, the little Pokémon cheered, gathering as if for a feast.

Soon, several Pokémon Su Yi was close with approached, carrying something in their arms.

“What’s this…” Su Yi looked closely—mushrooms of all kinds, colorful pinecones, glimmering shards, and even a precious Leaf Stone.

Pointing to himself in surprise, Su Yi asked, “For me?”

“Pika!” Pikachu handed him a gift.

“Gooey!” Goomy climbed onto Su Yi’s head, offering up a Vitality Shard as if presenting a treasure.

“These… Thank you all so much,” Su Yi said, deeply moved.

Perhaps these items weren’t of great value to the Pokémon, but Su Yi could trade some of them for money—his first source of funds in this world.

For a traveling team of Pokémon, potions and revives were strategic necessities—expensive, and not easy to come by.

These adorable creatures’ gifts had solved Su Yi’s most urgent need.

...

The sun set; evening hues spilled across the sky.

After a good rest, Su Yi bid farewell to the Pokémon.

“Goodbye!” He looked for Larvesta among them, but it didn’t appear.

Shaking off his jumbled thoughts, Su Yi mounted his Kulu-Ya-Ku and prepared to return to the dojo.

“Hm? Why does my backpack feel heavy?” He hefted the bag, puzzled by the unexpected weight.

Opening it, a white fuzzy head poked out.

“Larvesta?!” Su Yi exclaimed.

“Chii-wu!” Larvesta shrank its neck.

Su Yi quickly softened his voice. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect…”

“Chii-wu~” Larvesta pushed out an Oran Berry, offering it as a gesture of goodwill.

Su Yi accepted the berry and asked seriously, “Are you sure you want to come with me? Where I’m going could be very dangerous.”

Though Larvesta had great potential, its timid nature worried Su Yi—it might not adapt well to adventure.

Though he’d wanted a Pokémon to help hatch eggs, he also truly wished for a partner, and wouldn’t ignore the creature’s feelings.

Larvesta glanced back at the woods, shaded by trees, then looked up at the open sky. Its longing for the world beyond helped it overcome some of its fears.

“Chii-wu!” Larvesta nodded.

“Then we’re companions from now on.” Su Yi held out the Poké Ball, as if for a fist bump.

With a light tap, Larvesta was caught without resistance.

...

“I’m back! Aunt Mieleaf, Master Ma!” Su Yi burst energetically into the dojo.

“Oh? You seem happy today,” Master Mustard smiled.

Su Yi nodded. “I’ve gained another companion.”

He brought out the Charizard egg, with Larvesta perched atop it.

“Chii-wu…” Larvesta greeted them shyly.

...

In Rose’s office in Hammerlocke, as Leon opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Bea, the Galar region’s Fighting-type Gym Leader, fully geared up.

“Leon…” Bea turned to him.

“Our Champion, you really could rest a few more days,” Chairman Rose said with a wry smile.

“No need—I met someone interesting, and now I feel fired up again,” Leon replied, grinning.

Rose raised his brows in surprise. “Oh? You certainly look livelier. I remember you made a trip to the Isle of Armor, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. Sometimes you just need a change of scene,” said Leon.

“The Isle of Armor—that’s the island of the former Champion, previous Fighting-type Gym Leader, and Leon’s mentor, the elder Mustard,” Bea mused silently.

“If I’m still hesitating, why not go there myself, and perhaps uncover the secret behind the rise of a Champion?”

With her mind made up, Bea turned to Rose and said, “Chairman Rose, I’ll leave my leave of absence in your hands.”

“Understood.” Rose was already used to Bea’s occasional journeys for training.